Using data from various supplements from the National Health Interview Survey from 1987-1993, this project tracks the social distribution of AIDS knowledge from 1987-1993. By examining accurate information in conjunction with "mis-information" within the U.S. adult population, this project reveals the social processes which increase knowledges that will promote healthy behaviors as opposed to those knowledges which encourage false anxieties. From here, the project launches into two specific analyses related to AIDS knowledge. First, the role of two mass communication events (the 1988 federal government brochure "Understanding AIDS" and the disclosure by Earvin "Magic" Johnson of his HIV status) as mechanisms for informing (or misinforming) the public are examined. In doing so, this project makes inroads into how health information campaigns can be evaluated, whether long-term educational goals can he met through these processes, and what segments of the population are most (and least) influenced. Second, the association between AIDS knowledge and other health-related beliefs are examined. This later stage of the project integrates AIDS knowledge into a larger body of health knowledge as hypotheses concerning "knowledge constraint" are tested: Is knowledge of one health subject (such as AIDS) associated with other health-related knowledges (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and radon exposure). This analysis will provide evidence of whether health knowledges can be conceptualized as a uniform body of information, or as distinct issues each requiring separate educational and prevention strategies.